Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-03-03
Our Columbus Letter.
Vrom Our Regular Correspondent.)
COLUMBUS, o., March LIST, 1887

WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY.
The Republicans may try to shift the re-
sponsibility of the many odious acts of the
present Legislature from their party, but
they will have to take them, as their own acts
have forced them into that, to them, perplex-
ing dilemma. At the beginning of the pres
ent Legislature the Democrats had amaiority
in the Senate, but by the manipulations of
"Booby Bob' and Clerk Vallandigham, it
was made Republican, now standing Republi-
cans 21, Democrats 16. As soon as they OBJ
tanned majority in that branch they re-
organized the Standing Committees, gave all
the chairmanships to Republican Senators,
as we'll as majority of each committee,
thereby assuming the entire responsibility of
all legislation in that body. In the House,
at its organization, the Republicans had
small majority, but not large enough for their
purposes. According to the Cincinnati Times
Star-good Republican nauthority-John Sher-
man employed Messrs. Noyes and Bateham,
well known Republican attorney lobbyists of
Cincinnati, to make the House stronger Re-
publican, and paid them $4,000 for their
services. That majority was obtained by
unseating the ten Democratic members, and
putting in their places the ten Republicans
who had been defeated in Hamilton county
in the fall of 1886. Then the Republican
majority was made as large as that party de-
sired, unless they wanted the earth besides.
In appointing the Standing Committees of
the House, the Speaker only appointed two
Democrats on committees of seven members,
and only three Democrats on committees of
nine members, to which all political or par
tisan legislative matters would be referred,
such as the committees on Finance, Elections,
Judiciary, Labor, Municipal Affairs, Privi-
leges and Temperance. The committees of
Finance, Judiciary, Labor and Municipal
Affairs have nine members each, while the
committees of Elections, Privileges and
Temperance have seven members each. With
this state of facts the Republicans can not
avoid the responsibility of their odious acts,
as by their own legislation they have assum-
ed the entire responsibility; and when the
many odious acts of the present Legislature
is exhibited to the people, the Republican
party, as they usually try to do, will ehdeavor
to shirk the odium of their acts of the pres
ent Legislature, but their organization of the
standing committees, unseating Democrats
and putting Republicans in their place, to
get majority in each branch, gives them no
means of escaping the odiun1.
LACKING SAND
A fine exhibition of lacking sand was shown
| in the House last Thursday afternoon. There
are but few, if any members, or in fact any
| person else, who know what they are talking
about, or have given the subject any study
but what will say that the Governor Of the
State and members of the Legislature should
receive more salary than what they now do
yet when vote was taken that day on the
passage of the bill introduced by the fearless
member from Allen county, Hon. George W,
Hull, who is now serving his second term, to
make the Governors salary $4,000 year,
Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the
House $1,500 each, and members of the
Legislature $1,000 year, only % members
had the sand to vote for it, They were
Messrs. Armor, Bader, Bailey, Baker, Brad.
dock, Brown, of Cuyahoga; Chaney, Cole
Eggers, Francisco, Habbeler, Haley, Higgins
Hull, Krus, Mcbride, Mum an, Outcalt, Puck
Ryan, Terner, Vinnedge and Mr.. Speaker
while GA members voted against the bill
Several members who were absent would
have voted for the bill had they been present
If a sensible measure is proposed by any
of the bogus delegation from Hamilton
county in this Legislature, your readers car
always be sure it has been introduced by
Col. Robert Harlan. Why is this? Because
the Colonel gets only the ablest of attorneys
to prer ose the bills he introduces. The --latest
and one of the best bills introduced by him
or any other member this session, is one tc
add four supplemental sections to section
2970 of the revised statutes, to provide fol
contested elections Of Presidential Electors,
in order to avoid the troubles which occurred
in 1876.
Washington's birthday was not very ap
propiately celebrated in this city anywhere
except by some noble ladies who are en-
deavoring to provide home for old ladies
and also at the pride Of. the State-the Uni
versity. At the latter, besides military
salute and parade, there were short ant
patriotic addresses made by some of the
students, Judge Owen and Gov. Foraker
Quite number of the members of the Legis
Z, lature-who believed that when the Legis
lature makes a day legal holiday, they al
we'll as all others should observe it-wer,
4 present: The University is prospering finely
and there are but few if any members of tn
Legislature but what take deep interest il
that institution, and are willing to appro
pirate whatever money it needs.
The appropriation for the Intermediat
Penitentiary came very near being strickel
out, but finally it was put at $4,000 for tn
present year. A number of the members ar
d slowly coming to the conclusion that such al
institution is not needed.
One of the most startling matters whicl
has reached this Legislature, is the announce
nent that a Touring mill in Columbian,
county makes first grade -four out of secon,
grade by putting alum and soapstone in it
and one of the members of the House from
that county is going to introduce q bill t,
| 1preyent. millers from adulterating thei
i manufacture of -four in that manner. Car
1; it be possiblethat Ohio has any millers O.
i that kind? t&
4 =